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Saturday, August 10, 2013

Papadeaux (Part 1)

Ready for some change!

I think you all know that here at BKB, we are pretty diverse food aficionados. We can be equally as happy with a $2 Taco as a $50 Sea Bass. We dig fried Cheese Curds at the pub as much as a Tiger Roll at a 5 star Sushi bar.

I don’t care if my meal costs $5 or $500 if it’s not good, it’s making my eye twitch!

One of our favorite restaurants in Colorado, the Papadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Greenwood Village (7520 E. Progress Place) has everything you’d want. Drinks, great seafood, atmosphere out the kazoo and plenty of parking (as long as it’s not the busy hours).

What struck me on our last visit, was the lack of consistency and serious disappointment in their drink menu.

I suppose I should start by saying that I was initially put off by our server who attacked us wanting to take a drink order before I even realized that we had a drink menu on the table. I panicked and ordered a N’awlins Punch, and the wife ordered a drink called a “Swamp Thing.”

Pretty catchy names, and sticking with the “French Quarter” theme, I can dig it. Till they showed up on the table.

My punch was a watermelon flavored mix of vodka, citrus vodka, watermelon, lemon and salt! Its so lumpy with chunks of melon that drinking it through the straw was impossible. There was no balance at all. I would call it cloyingly sweet!

Kahuna’s Chick liked her “Swamp Thing,” but to me, it tasted like something I would have made in High School, when trying to figure out how to mix a drink. The mix of Raspberry and Melon liqueurs mixed with “Slushy Machine” margarita and hurricane. It looks good, but the combination of sweet, salty, melon and lime mixed with the texture issues of syrupy liqueurs mixed with icy frozen drink mix makes for a unique experience... that is not necessarily a positive one.

Hoping for a better option, I hoped for a nice craft beer. No such luck. In fact, the menu lists Dos Equis as “Craft Beer” instead of “Import.” They seem a bit confused!

I tried a “Captains Hurricane.”

Bad Ideas come in all shapes and sizes, but this thing was $10 worth of Super No-lead Gasoline and Orange Juice!

It seems to me that the bar needs HELP! Especially for the price point!

Not that I’d tell someone how to run their business, but for the number of restaurants, and the target audience, I’d suggest that Papadeaux call the fine folks at the International Rum Council for some help with their bar service!

They currently carry brands like Flor De Cana 7 year and Don Q rum. So I know they see the value of an up-scale rum menu.

As for appetizers, the Calamari was excellent! Nice size portion and plenty of wonderful sauce to dip it in. The pieces were fork tender and the breading was perfect. The Clam Chowder.... Not so much! Think potatoes and milk with bacon. Yes, there were some clams in it... But they certainly did NOT work their way to the front of the palate.

Well.... That takes care of the drinks and appetizer, check back in on Tuesday for my thoughts on the main course and see if it makes up for a mediocre setup menu!